CDing for the first time. Need help on what to get.

[mom03]

Hi,

I am less than 5 wks away from my due date and have only started to consider CDing. Yikes! I have previously made up my mind to use disposables but with so many huge expenses to fix up our house this year, I am trying not to throw money away which the more I read, the more it seems like that would be the case with disposables.

So far, we've bought a package of Huggies newborn (48ct) and a box of Huggies Size 1-2 (228ct) and I think we'll be keeping those since I'm still a little afraid to venture into CDing. It seems/sounds quite complicated at times and although I have been doing a lot of researching and reading, sometimes I still don't understand what half the article is saying. DH feels the same way (I'll print out the articles hoping those that don't make sense to me may make sense to him somehow but it seems to be worse for him).However, he's 100% supporting CDing - anything that's better for the environment. I'm surprised he did not argue with me initially when I decided for both of us to use disposables:)

I'm thinking of going with what many have suggested - to start CDing only after the meconium passes. So we're currently thinking of getting and trying a variety of CD but don't really know where to start. I've checked out several websites but have been feeling pretty overwhelmed and have decided to focus only on naturalbabies.com. On our list currently:

1. CPF Infant - should we get 4x6x4 or 4x8x4 and how many? We're thinking of getting just the 4x8x4 for no reason other than hoping they'll last us a bit longer. Will that be true?

2. Countour Diapers. Any recommendation on whether we should get one to try and which one?

3. Fitted Diapers - thinking of getting one Kissaluvs size 1 (fleece/terry combo)to try, again hoping that it'll last us longer although we probably can't use it immediately as the size range is 10-25lbs. Also wondering, assuming the baby is borned 8.5lbs, how long does it take on average for him to reach 10 lbs?

Also under this category were Lukes Drawers Original Cotton kisses, Quick-Dry Cotton Kisses and OneSize Wonders. DH and I are not sure what are the differences btw the original and quick-dry and if we should try them at all. We are definitely thinking of getting the OneSize Wonders to try.

4. Covers - Am not really interest in using any pins or snappi with CD right at this moment so we are looking to get covers where we don't have to use either one.

Thinking of trying (all in small size): Bumkins diaper cover, Bummis Super Snap - has anyone tried this and like it?, Bummis ISWW, Prorap Classic, Prorap Pull-on Side Snap Cover - is this worth trying too?

How about the Imse Vimse Bumpy Cover? Does anybody recommend this brand? It seems like quite a lot of you like Motherease airflows/sandies - are they diaper covers too or a type of CD? (I'm feeling pretty stupid now:)) What do you reccomend and where can I find ME? I didn't see any in naturalbabies.com.

How many covers do we need to start with minimum assuming we'll just be trying for now and will get more later? Another stupid question - when and how often should we wash the covers, everytime we change the baby?

5. AIO - Thinking of trying Lukes Drawers Cotton Kiss AIO, Bumkins AIO, Prorap AIO? Anymore suggestions?

6. FB - Definitely going to try one with the JB inserts.

7. Doublers/liners? How many to try and what type? Totally no clue on this one.

Sorry to be so long but will really appreciate any feedback from anyone. Thank you in advanced for your help.

Chris
Expecting a boy 6/10/03

[Karenn]

Well, I'm pretty new to CD, so there's no way I can answer all of your questions, but I thought I'd give it a go!

2. I have the Kissaluv contours and really like them. They're like a prefold, but you don't have to fold them. They're nice (especially if you're lazy like me :) ), but if prefolds work for you, and you're trying to save money, I'm not sure they're that much better.

4. Motherease airflow is a cover. Motherease Sandy's is a fitted diaper. They have their own website which is[http://www.motherease.com/]. I like both the cover and the diaper. The Sandy's are reasonably inexpensive as far as fitted diapers go.

In terms of covers, I've known some people who are happy with 6-8 and others who have said they couldn't CD without at least 14 covers. You can generally use a cover for more than one change, unless it gets soiled (which may happen more frequently with a newborn. :) ) I think my friend who cd'd a newborn started with 6 covers, but was doing a fair amount of laundry.

I'm sure you'll get more help from some of the more experienced CD moms!

Good Luck!

[celfsh]

I'm also new to CDing--only been doing it for about a month or so--and have never CDed a newborn, so take my advice for what it's worth, but here is my experience.

Based on recommendations on this board, I first got started with a sampler package from the website you mentioned, http://www.naturalbabies.com. I highly recommend starting out with this package or a similar one. It has a little bit of everything, including two of the covers you mentioned (Bummis SIWW and Prowrap Classic), as well as one of each "type" of diaper--CPF, fitted (Kissaluvs), AIO (Bumkins), and pocket diaper (FuzziBunz). The only thing that is missing is a JoeyBunz to stuff the FB, but Colleen at naturalbabies carries that too. She is fabulous to work with and can help you figure out sizes, etc. I ended up liking everything in the sampler; however, the Kissaluvs did not work for us due to its low rise (DD is a tall baby, so her bum was hanging out). That is not to say it will not work for you, though. Every baby is different. That is why you will find that most people recommend trying a little bit of everything.

I would also recommend trying some Motherease diapers and covers. I like their one-size diaper and Airflow cover. Motherease products are only sold on their website at http://www.motherease.com. They offer an introductory package that includes a diaper, cover, and snap-in doubler for a great price. (BTW, in regards to your question about covers, they do not need to be washed after each use unless they get poop on them. If they only get wet, you can just air them out and use them again. I usually wash my covers every other day or so.)

Don't know if I've helped you any--it does sound like you have a pretty good list of things to try. Have fun shopping, but beware...as many people on this board can attest, buying CDs can be ADDICTING. Also, I know what you mean about all this seeming confusing at first, but you'll get the hang of it quickly, I promise! Good luck!

Edited to say: Looks like Karen beat me to the punch...sorry for any redundancy!

celeste
mom to olivia 9/25/02
http://homepage.mac.com/the_big_fish

[sparkeze]

I'll take a stab:

>1. CPF Infant - should we get 4x6x4 or 4x8x4 and how many?
>We're thinking of getting just the 4x8x4 for no reason other
>than hoping they'll last us a bit longer. Will that be true?

The 4x8x4 just have two more layers down the center. I don't know about lasting longer though, you'll probably have to change just as often anyways and the more layers make it a tad more bulky. You probably don't want to get more than a dozen unless you're sure this is the route you want to go. If you only use CPFs you could probably get by with 2 dozen washing every 2-3 days.

>
>2. Countour Diapers. Any recommendation on whether we should
>get one to try and which one?

Sorry, haven't tried any!

>
>3. Fitted Diapers - thinking of getting one Kissaluvs size 1
>(fleece/terry combo)to try, again hoping that it'll last us
>longer although we probably can't use it immediately as the
>size range is 10-25lbs. Also wondering, assuming the baby is
>borned 8.5lbs, how long does it take on average for him to
>reach 10 lbs?

Between birth (8lbs) and his 2 month checkup, my DS gained over 4 lbs. They gain really fast in the beginning! You could probably use the size 1 from the beginning, but it will probably be bulky.


>Also under this category were Lukes Drawers Original Cotton
>kisses, Quick-Dry Cotton Kisses and OneSize Wonders. DH and
>I are not sure what are the differences btw the original and
>quick-dry and if we should try them at all. We are
>definitely thinking of getting the OneSize Wonders to try.

OSW will be incredibly bulky on a newborn. I thought they were really bulky on my then-9 mo! Also I didn't really like how the soaker barely covered up his penis. I think I would've liked them better for a girl. I love the QD cotton kisses! :) I would recommend QD just cause they dry faster. The only difference between the original and QD is that the soaker is sewn in on the original. Less pieces but longer to dry.

>
>4. Covers - Am not really interest in using any pins or
>snappi with CD right at this moment so we are looking to get
>covers where we don't have to use either one.
>
>Thinking of trying (all in small size): Bumkins diaper
>cover, Bummis Super Snap - has anyone tried this and like
>it?, Bummis ISWW, Prorap Classic, Prorap Pull-on Side Snap
>Cover - is this worth trying too?
>
>How about the Imse Vimse Bumpy Cover? Does anybody recommend
>this brand? It seems like quite a lot of you like Motherease
>airflows/sandies - are they diaper covers too or a type of
>CD? (I'm feeling pretty stupid now:)) What do you reccomend
>and where can I find ME? I didn't see any in
>naturalbabies.com.
>
>How many covers do we need to start with minimum assuming
>we'll just be trying for now and will get more later?
>Another stupid question - when and how often should we wash
>the covers, everytime we change the baby?

A lot of questions! Basically, a wrap doesn't need pins or snappis. It has to have a tight fit to keep the CPF in place. Bumkins, Bummis, Prorap, Bumpy - all are wraps. The ME Airflow cover is not a wrap. It will not hold a CPF in place very well, although a friend of mine does it that way. These are good for fitted diapers, or fastened CPFs. The number of covers you need depend on your system and age of the baby. If you use CPFs, you'll probably need more covers because they don't hold in poop as well as a fitted. If you go with mostly fitteds, probably 6 would be plenty - you could start off with 4 covers and see if you need more. Covers need to be washed whenever there's poop on it. Probably at the beginning you'll be washing them more frequently than when the poops are not quite so runny, but once a week? To give you a ballpark figure. Whenever you change the baby you can just let the cover air out, so ideally, if you don't get poop on the covers you could alternate 2 back and forth all day.

>
>5. AIO - Thinking of trying Lukes Drawers Cotton Kiss AIO,
>Bumkins AIO, Prorap AIO? Anymore suggestions?

We like LD Cotton Kisses AIOs here. Bumkins are really easy, but for a newborn I would suggest trying the Prorap AIOs. They're pretty inexpensive and they have gussets so you hopefully won't have to wash poopy clothes!

>
>6. FB - Definitely going to try one with the JB inserts.
>
>7. Doublers/liners? How many to try and what type? Totally
>no clue on this one.

Until your baby starts sleeping long stretches at night you really don't need anything if you're changing the diaper every 2-3 hours. You could just buy some microfleece from a fabric store and cut them up to use as liners. We only use doublers for nighttime, or if the diaper came with a snap-in one. You can probably wait and see if you really need doublers when you start CDing.

HTH!

[nohomama]

We started cloth diapering Lola when she was five days old. We used a service to start (shower gift) and if you're really uncertain, I'd tell you to start there too. It allows you to get a feel for the whole process without actually making an investment in anything but covers. If you don't like CDing you can stop the service and then only have to unload several covers rather than a whole "layette" of cloth dipes.

If you do decide to continue CDing you CAN get away with only using cotton (as opposed to hemp) prefolds. It's the cheapest route and we managed fine using CPFs almost exclusively for a year. We never used pins and only started using Snappis within the last 5 months or so (though with a second child I'd likely use them MUCH earlier and would recommend getting at least one to try even if you think it's not for you).

As for your questions, here's how'd I'd answer them:

1. 4x8x4s offer more absorbancy. While it won't matter initially because newborns are changed so frequently it will become an issue as your babe gets older and goes for longer inbetween changes. My advice, go with the 4x8x4s.

2. I've used several different contours and like Kissaluv's the best. I got seconds (at a discount) directly from Kissaluv's outlet store and have been pleased with the quality.

http://www.kissaluvs.com/outlet.htm

They don't always have seconds available and when they do, they sell fast. I checked the site religiously for two weeks before I was able to buy the dipes I wanted in the size I needed.

3. I also got my Kissaluv's fitteds through their outlet page. The all fleece dipes are much stretchier that the fleece/terry combo's which means you'd likely be able to use them longer. One thing to take into consideration is that the rise (how far up toward the belly button the diaper goes) on Kissaluv's is low and many Moms of boys prefer a dipe with a higher rise.

The only other fitteds I've used and can recommend are the Motherease Sandies (www.motherease.com). Motherease offers a great intro package that includes a diaper (either their one-size or a Sandies for a few dollars more) with a doubler and an Air Flow cover. I highly recommend it.

As for how quickly babies grow, there really is no "average." It's different with every baby. The mileage you'll get out of a diaper will vary from one child to the next.

4. I would hold off on getting a bunch of different covers until your babe is older (and won't outgrow them quite as quickly) and you're certain CDing is for you. In the beginning I'd stick with inexpensive covers, like Prowraps, and I'd recommend getting at least 3 newborn sized covers. A too large cover will lead to blow-outs and more laundry. Lola was an average size newborn (7lbs 12 oz) and she wore newborn sized Prowraps for about a month despite the fact she grew like a weed (90th percentile for weight and height).

I'd reccommend having 6 covers to start with. You don't need to wash covers after every change and, as a matter of fact, you don't want to because it will shorten the life of the cover. If a cover is pooped on I"ll often just hand wash it and hang it to dry. Covers that are just wet I often use again immediately or, if they're too wet, I let them hang to air out an dry.

When you decide to venture out and use other covers, check out the Just the Wraps Package and www.earthbaby.com .

5. I can't offer any advice on AIOs because I've never used them.

6. Same with FBs and JBs.

7. I started using flushable liners after Lola started eating solid food and the consistancy of her poop got less runny. When I began using them I used Kushies liners but then moved on to rice paper liners. Both can be washed and reused if they're only wet.

Many people also buy inexpensive micro fleece from a fabric store and cut rectangular or hour glass shaped liners. These liners wick moisture away from baby's skin, keeping them drier and also protect the diapers from stains.

Doublers add the absorbancy of another diaper without the bulk. I didn't begin using doublers until Lola was older and needed the extra absorbancy. Newborns are changed so frequently that I doubt you'll find a doubler neccessary.


A few other things worth mentioning:

1. If you really want to save money, check out Ebay and consigment stores for used diapers. In terms of Ebay, I look for diapers described as new, gently used, and/or in excellent condition without stains.

2. When figuring out how much to buy to CD a newborn, plan on at least 10-12 changes a day.


Hope some of this helps,

[gravymommy3]

Chris,

You have been give a bunch of good advice.

I agree with Sarah on the Snappi. Don't fear the Snappi. It is quite easy to use (you can practice now with a diaper on a teddy bear) and be a pro in no time. It will help keep the diaper snugger and the poops under control. I thought when I started (on an older child) that I would just lay the CPFs in a wrap and put them on the child. I quickly discovered that a snappi is my best friend. I even just them on hemp (but I'm a bit of an oddball).

Be careful of buying on Ebay. If you recognize the brand (Kissaluvs, Bummis, Bumkins, etc) you should be fine. Investigate WAHM products first (they are many, many wonderful WAHM products - Liz's Cloth happen to be my faves - but on Ebay there are some that just don't measure up.) Ask on this board, DiaperPin or MDC boards for opinions. PM me or email me at [email protected] cause I know of one to avoid at all costs.

Finally, start with the smaller of the two packs of sposies. You may find that you don't need many of them and you could exchange the super industrial mega pack for a smaller one and use the extra credit for something else.

I know that my situation is very different from yours. I don't have a newborn that I am trying to figure out, a body that is stressed, etc. But when I started, I went all out. I did not even consider putting DD in sposies at night (even though I swam for a few nights!) The only time she is in them is when DH watches her (which ain't ofter, kwim?) Course, DS refuses any and all offers of cloth so his rotten self is in sposies (the little skunk!)

Good luck to you on the birth and on the CD experience. I hope you like it as much as I do.

[KathyO]

As well as Ebay, the Motherease.com website has a bulletin board where people frequently post used stuff for sale. Some of it is MotherEase, but much of it isn't. The MotherEase owners seem to be fine with this.

Cheers!

KathyO

[malie]

I didn't want to repeat what's already been said but did want to add that ME does make a wrap. It's called Rikki. In the past even those the sampler at their website is for the airflow you could request a Rikki wrap instead

[mom03]

Wow!

Thanks so much for everyone's feedback. I'll definitely look into all the suggestions/recommendations.

Chris
Expecting a boy 6/10/03